Thursday, November 20, 2014

A MusiCares Person of the Year tribute concert honoring Bruce Springsteen that was taped in Feb. 2013 and featuring artists such as Elton John, Neil Young, Patti Smith, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris and Tim McGraw as well as the Boss himself will premiere on PBS stations around the country on Dec. 5 at 9:00 p.m. EST. The star-studded "Tribute to Bruce Springsteen," which was held at Los Angeles' Convention Center and hosted by Jon Stewart, will be part of the network's Arts Fall Festival 2014. The concert was released on DVD, Blu-ray and digital download earlier in 2014. The MusiCares Person of the Year Award is given out annually to a musician whose career success is matched by exemplary charitable endeavors. - Billboard, 11/26/14...... In a new interview with the London Sunday Times,Joni Mitchell says she scrapped the idea of current pop sensation Taylor Swift portraying her in a movie adaptation of Girls Like Us, a book that focuses on the impact of Mitchell and two of her fellow famous female singers -- Carole King and Carly Simon. "I squelched that," Mitchell says. "I said to the producer, 'All you've got is a girl with high cheekbones.' It's just a lot of gossip, you don't have the great scenes." She also noted of the source material, "There's a lot of nonsense about me in books ... assumptions, assumptions, assumptions." - Billboard, 11/25/14...... AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, who is facing charges of threatening to kill and drug possession in New Zealand, showed up late for his second court appearance on Nov. 26 and clowned around by jumping on the back of one of his security guards outside the courthouse. According to a local newspaper, the 60-year-old musician winked at reporters, drummed a rhythm on the dock and then sped away from the courthouse in a black sports car. Rudd did not enter a plea during his brief appearance, and he remains free on bail with his next court appearance scheduled for Dec. 2, which also happens to be the date AC/DC's new album Rock or Bust will drop. Rudd's future with the band is said to be uncertain, with guitarist Angus Young only saying that the band will definitely be touring behind the new LP, and "we'll have a good drummer in there." - AP, 11/25/14...... Bob Dylan and his band performed a concert for just one fan on Nov. 23 as part of a Swedish film series called Experiment Ensam. The lucky person, Swedish TV personality Fredrik Wikingsson, was told Dylan would play for him, but given the empty room, he was expecting "some asshole would walk onstage and just laugh" instead. But Wikingsson was pleasantly surprised when the legendary rock star took the stage with his band and played covers of old tracks from Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Chuck Willis. Experiment Ensam aims to take activities that normally occur in a large-group setting and reduce them to single-person events. The director of Experiment Ensam is Wikingsson's pal, which is how he managed to get the gig. The show, and the others that will be part of the Experiment Ensam project, will be available to view in their entirety on YouTube.com beginning on Aug. 15, 2015. - Billboard, 11/25/14...... As the controversial court verdict in Ferguson, Mo., that let police officer Darren Wilson walk scot-free after shooting and killing unarmed civilian Michael Brown dominates the news in the United States and other countries around the world, it was inevitable that classic-rocker-turned-conservative-pundit Ted Nugent would weigh in on the case, and on Nov. 24 The Nuge did just that on his Facebook page. "Here's the lessons from Ferguson America -- Don't let your kids growup to be thugs who think they can steal, assault & attack cops as a way of life & badge of black (dis)honor. Don't preach your racist bullsh*t no justice no peace? as blabbered by Obama's racist Czar Al Not So Sharpton & their black klansmen," Nugent wrote. But he wasn't finished with his rant yet: "When a cop tells you to get out of the middle of the street, obey him & don't attack him as brainwashed by the gangsta assholes you hang with & look up to. It's that simple unless you have no brains, no soul, no sense of decency whatsoever. And don't claim that "black lives matter" when you ignore the millions you abort & slaughter each & every day by other blacks. Those of us with a soul do indeed believe black lives matter, as all lives matter. So quit killin each other you f---in idiots. Drive safely." The Ferguson decision has also drawn outrage from pop stars usually silent on political matters -- including Rihanna and Katy Perry -- who by and large have a completely opposite view on the matter from Nugent's. - Billboard, 11/25/14...... Foreigner has made the opening track of their new album The Best of 4 & More available as an instant download when fans pre-order the album digitally. The song, "Night Life," was recorded live at the Borgata Hotel's Music Box theatre in Atlantic City in October 2014. Foreigner's 4 album spent more weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts than any artist in the history of Atlantic Records, including AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, and went on to sell more than 9 million albums worldwide, propelled by such hits as "Juke Box Hero," "Urgent" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You." The Best of 4 & More will be released in the UK on Dec. 8, and on Dec. 16 in the US. - Noble PR, 11/25/14...... Speaking to Rolling Stone magazine, Ray Davies of the Kinks revealed that he has recorded new material with his brother and former bandmate Dave Davies. Ray says he and Dave had been working on demos as long ago as last year, calling his sibling "a good writer." "We actually put down a few demos last Christmas," said Davies. "He came to see me, and he played me a couple of new songs." The two have not performed together since 1996 when the Kinks split acrimoniously, and earlier in 2014 Dave nixed the chances of a reunion show, saying said he didn't want it to be "a Ray Davies show where he lets his little brother stand in the corner." Ray responded to those comments by saying that he "didn't understand what that's about...If we do a Kinks show, were the Kinks...Ray stands on the right of the stage and Dave stands on the left." Ray also said a chance of a new Kinks tour "might be difficult" and that he "can't think that far forward." - NME, 11/29/14...... Former U.F.O. and Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker will kick off a UK tour on Dec. 10 at the Newcastle O2 Academy. Schenker, with openers Western Sand, will also visit Glasgow (12/11), Nottingham (12/12), Manchester (12/13), Leeds (12/15), Bilston (12/16), Norwich (12/17) and Bristol (12/19) before wrapping with a show in London at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on Dec. 20. The final show will feature Michael's son Tyson Schenker and his band, State Villains. - Noble PR, 11/26/14...... Cable TV's CNN announced on Nov. 20 that they plan on following up their successful documentary series The Sixties with an eight-part series devoted to the 1970s. The Seventies, which like The Sixties is being executive produced by Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman and Mark Herzog, is expected to debut in the summer of 2015, according to the newtork. The network said The Seventies would launch with a one-hour episode examining the era's television programming and how it reflected new social currents. The episode will also chronicle the establishment of two big TV franchises: ABC's Monday Night Football (now on ESPN) and NBC's Saturday Night Live. Subsequent one-hour episodes will delve into everything from the Vietnam War to Watergate to the sexual revolution to the Iranian Hostage Crisis. Archival and rarely-seen film, video and photographs will provide additional documentation of the era. - Variety, 11/20/14.

Police in San Antonio, Tex., are investigating the theft of about $4,000 worth of instruments from Leon Russell's tour bus on Nov. 23, before the 2011 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee was set to play the city's Aztec Theatre. The instruments were reportedly stolen earlier that day from the vehicle's cargo hold as the band slept on the bus, which was parked in front of the theater. Russell and his band played the show that night nevertheless, using borrowed instruments. - AP, 11/25/14...... AC/DC is currently streaming "Play Ball," the first single from their new album Rock Or Bust, at iTunesRadio.com. The LP is due on Nov. 28 in the hard rockers' native Australia, and on Dec. 2 in North America. AC/DC has vowed that they'll launch a tour behind the new record in 2015, despite the recent arrest of founding drummer Phill Rudd in New Zealand for allegedly threatening murder and drug possession. - Billboard, 11/24/14...... Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band kicked off their latest tour behind their new LP Ride Out at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Mich., on Nov. 19 before a packed house of partisan home state fans. The fans braved a bitter chill and the season's first significant snowfall to see the Detroit rocker belt out a 23-song, two-hour and 10-minute show with a generous selection from the new album. Seger was reportedly in fine voice and the band sounded tight after extensive rehearsals dating back to September, when it was preparing for TV appearances around Ride Out's mid-October launch. The Ride Out tour continues into at least February 2015, with the first of 16 shows featuring the J. Geils Band as openers. More dates are expected to be announced. - Billboard, 11/20/14...... Yoko Ono has covered her slain husband John Lennon's famous yuletide song "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" on a new Amazon.com exclusive holiday release, All Is Bright. Yoko collaborated with the Flaming Lips on the track, who in turn just devoted an entire album covering the Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. - Billboard, 11/20/14...... In other Beatles news, unused photos from the band's photo shoot for their 1969 Abbey Road album sold for £180,000 at Bloomsbury Auctions in London on Nov. 23. The shots were taken on Aug. 8, 1969 by photographer Iain Macmillan, who had only 10 minutes to complete the entire shoot. Six photos were taken in all, including the photo that eventually made the final cut, as well as a scenery shot of the Abbey Road sign. The buyer, calling from overseas, made his winning bid by phone for the collection of photos, which was originally given a sales estimate of £50,000-£70,000. One professor at a UK College of Communication noted that the photos "encapsulate a significant cultural moment (with) an image that launched a notorious conspiracy theory, and clearly still provide a touchstone for fans." - New Musical Express, 11/24/14...... Meanwhile, the Beatles and Paul McCartney's former band Wings will be among the bands releasing exclusive new UK vinyl releases to independent retailers in the country during Universal's "12 Days of Christmas" promotion, which kicks off on Dec. 1. The Beatles will issue a seven-inch of "Long Tall Sally" on Dec. 2, while Wings will release a seven-inch of "Letting Go" on Dec. 11. Over 120 independent record stores will be taking part in the initiative. - NME, 11/20/14...... Elsewhere on the Fab Four front, Ringo Starr and his wife Barbara Bach have just put their swanky estate in Surrey, which features an 18,332 square foot mansion with 8 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, up for sale for a reported asking price of around £15 million. The Starrs purchased the 201-acre spread, dubbed Rydinghurst, in 1999 for around £2 million. The couple recently told London's Sunday Times that they don't spend much time at the estate anymore and plan to make another house they own in Malibu, Calif., which they purchased in May 1991 for $3.2 million, their primary home. The couple also own a 3,200-square-foot cabin-style home near Aspen, Col., which they also picked up in 1991 for $1.164 million. They have unsuccessfuly tried to sell that home three times. - Variety, 11/21/14...... On Nov. 23 Sting confirmed rumors that he'll be joining the cast of "The Last Ship," a new Broadway musical that incorporates some of his songs and is set in his Northern English hometown. The former The Police frontman reportedly hopes his participation will help the struggling box office receipts of the $15 million production. Sting will join the production starting Dec. 9 and appearing through Jan. 10, traditionally the busiest period of the year for Broadway theatergoing. He steps into the role of shipyard foreman Jackie White, currently being played by British singer-songwriter Jimmy Nail. Audience capacity for the musical, which centers on a young man named Gideon who comes from a long line of shipbuilders, has hovered around the 60 percent mark during November. Sting last appeared on Broadway as Macheath in a 1989 production of "The Threepenny Opera." - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/23/14...... It appears the beleaguered planned Janis Joplin biopic, which has seen several directors come and go over the years, is back on track now with Hollywood A-lister Amy Adams in talks to portray the legendary female rock singer from Port Arthur, Texas. Also apparently on board are the creative team behind the recent acclaimed movie Dallas Buyers Club, which includes director Jean-Marc Vallee and screenwriters Craig Borton and Melisa Wallack. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/21/14...... Fleetwood Mac have added a fifth London gig to their forthcoming 2015 UK and Ireland tour. The Mac are now set to play Londonon June 26, before their previously announced London dates of May 27 and 28, and June 22 and 24. The band will also visit Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin before wrapping in Leeds on June 30. - NME, 11/20/14...... Lionel Richie was honored with a Legend of Live Award at the 11th annual Billboard Touring Awards on Nov. 20 at New York's Edison Ballroom. "Very few people get to be in the business for 35, 40 years and still be doing this and alive. I'm thinking back how simple it seems now, but I know people from before it all started, and that's what I want to celebrate tonight," the former The Commodores member said, adding that he has no plans to slow his roll at the age of 65. "Stay with me for the next 400 years, I promise I won't let you down." - Billboard, 11/20/14...... Cher cancelled the remaining dates on her 2014 Dressed to Kill concert tour while she recovers from an infection, according to a statement from her publicist on Nov. 20. Cher, 68, completed 49 dates since her tour began in March before taking a scheduled break in July. Shortly before returning in September, she was struck by an infection that affected kidney function. Her doctors have recommended she take more time to rest for a complete recovery, the statement said. The affected shows were scheduled through Feb. 4 in 22 cities, including Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Toronto and Chicago. Cher was quoted in the statement as being "totally devastated" at the cancellations, and said that she "cannot apologize enough to all the fans who bought tickets." - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/20/14...... Aretha Franklin released a statement on Nov. 24 condemning a new authorized biography about her, Respect: The Life of Aretha Franklin by David Ritz. "As many of you are aware, there is a very trashy book out there full of lies and more lies about me. ... [The writer's] actions are obviously vindictive because I edited out some crazy statements he had the gall to try and put in my book written 15 years ago," Franklin said. "Evidently, he has been carrying this hatred ever since." Ritz's book delves into the Queen of Soul's background as a teenage parent, her own parents' separation, her battle with alcohol and more. Ritz has written a number of biographies, including books on Etta James, Rick James and Ray Charles, and worked with Franklin previously on 1999's Aretha: From These Roots. Franklin's latest album, Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics, was released on Oct. 21 and debuted at No. 3 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. - AP, 11/24/14...... Southern rock legend Charlie Daniels played his annual holiday benefit concert "Christmas 4 Kids" at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., on Nov. 24. Proceeds will be used to give more than 400 underprivileged children in Middle Tennessee a chance to go Christmas shopping. "It's a concert with a heart," Daniels told Billboard. "It's a very special thing. People are basically pretty doggone good and pretty charitable. Still, sometimes, people like kids are so below our radar, and we would like to do something for them at special times like Christmas, but we don't know where or how to go about it. The wonderful thing about this concert is that it gives us all a chance to do something for people that we should be glad to do something for at this time of year. We don't have to go out to search for that opportunity; it gets brought to us." Daniels noted that the Ryman, which is the former home of the Grand Ole Opry, is a venue that has a special meaning to him. "When I was in my teens, I came out to the Grand Ole Opry -- I believe it was in 1954 -- and sat out front. I never thought I would ever see the crowd from the stage myself. It seemed like a dream that was beyond my reach. Every time you walk on that stage, if you have any heart about you at all, you have to stop and think about what a legendary stage you're playing. This is the Mother Church of Country Music. It has to mean something to you." - Billboard, 11/20/14.

Mike Nichols, the award-winning director and pioneering comedian known for directing such hit groundbreaking movies as The Graduate,Carnal Knowledge,Silkwood and The Birdcage, died on the evening of Nov. 19 at the age of 83. During a career spanning more than 50 years, Mr. Nichols occupied that rare air in the industry of those who have won the "EGOT" -- an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony. Born Michael Igor Peschkowsky in Berlin in 1931, Mr. Nichols immigrated to the United States in 1939 to flee Nazi Germany. The family changed its last name to Nichols after settling in New York City, where the family patriarch established a medical practice. Mr. Nichols attended college in Chicago and later headed back to New York, where he studied acting under famed teacher Lee Strasberg. Returning to Chicago, Mr. Nichols started up a comedy troupe and met Elaine May. The pair would go on to form a partnership that would later take Broadway by storm, taking comedy into places it had seldom gone before, bringing an improvisational swagger and intellectual edge to a field that had been dominated by joke-telling standups. Although he was probably best known for his movies, Mr. Nichols was also an outstanding theater director, and at one point in 1967 he had four plays running on Broadway, including Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park" and "The Odd Couple." He was a go-to guy for stage works until the end of his life, helming Tom Stoppard's "The Real Thing" (1984), "Monty Python's Spamalot" (2005) and a 2012 revival of "Death of a Salesman" starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. More acclaim would follow for his work on the big screen. His first film, 1966's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, starred Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and was nominated for 13 Oscars and won five, including a best actress trophy for Taylor. But his next film, 1967's The Graduate, was in many ways more impressive, making innovative use of pop music (thanks to Simon and Garfunkel's songs), and featuring a terrific script by Buck Henry and Calder Willlingham. The movie became a blockbuster sign of the New Hollywood -- one led by youthful moviegoers and antihero protagonists, and Mr. Nichols won a best director Oscar for his work. Mr. Nichols, who was married to ABC News's Diane Sawyer, managed to be both an insider and outsider, an occasional White House guest and friend to countless celebrities who was as likely to satirize the elite as he was to mingle with them. He met Sawyer later in life (he was 54 at the time) and she became his fourth wife. The couple was married for 26 years. His last film as director was 2007's Charlie Wilson's War. In addition to Sawyer, Mr. Nichols is survived by his three children -- Daisy, Max and Jenny -- and four grandchildren. ABC News President James Goldston announced that the family will hold a private service in the days ahead, and a memorial will be held at a later date. - AP/CNN, 11/20/14.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Motown artist Jimmy Ruffin, known for such hits as "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold on to My Love," died on Nov. 17 in a Las Vegas hospital of undisclosed reasons. He was 78. Born on May 7, 1936, Collinsville, Miss., Ruffin was signed to Berry Gordy's Motown Records, doing back-up work for the label, and had a string of hits in the 1960s, including "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," which became a Top 10 pop hit in September 1966. He had continued success with songs such as "I've Passed This Way Before" and "Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got," but had a big comeback in the spring of 1980 with his second Top 10 hit, "Hold on to My Love," which was produced by late Bee Gees member Robin Gibb. Ruffin was also the older brother of The Temptations lead singer David Ruffin, who died in 1991 at age 50, and worked with him in the 1970s on the album I Am My Brother's Keeper. Ruffin, who lived in England for many years, was described as "a rare type of man who left his mark on the music industry" in a statement by his daughter, Philicia Ruffin. "My family in its entirety is extremely upset over his death. He will truly be missed. We will treasure the many fond and wonderful memories we all have of him," she added. - AP, 11/19/14.

Pink Floyd have scored their first UK No. 1 album since 1995 with their latest effort, The Endless River. The LP sold over 139,000 copies in its first week of release according to the country's Official Chart Company and was Britain's third fastest album of the year, behind albums by Coldplay and Ed Sheeran. "[Pink Floyd] are both thrilled and surprised at the level of international interest in this their final album. They want to thank the fans for their support and hope that in some small way, The Endless River has reminded them of the old fashioned joy of listening to an album in its entirety," a spokesperson for the band said. Meanwhile, Queen's new album Queen Forever, featuring never before released material and a collaboration between Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson, has bowed at number five in the UK. - New Musical Express, 11/17/14...... A colorful wall dedicated to the memory of John Lennon in the Czechoslovakian capital of Prague was painted over apparently by a group of art students on Nov. 17. The wall, which was painted with Lennon's images and related graffiti related to his assassination in 1980, became a symbol of freedom under the old Czech communist regime with young people meeting there to light candles and lay flowers. The students who claimed responsibility for painting the wall white left the message "Wall is over!," an apparent play on word of the Lennon hit "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," and a huge billboard sponsered by John and his wife Yoko Ono simply saying "War Is Over" that was once on display in New York's TImes Square. The student group, known as Prague Service, said in a statement that it was done to mark Monday's 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution that ended communist rule in Czechoslovakia and "to provide free space for new messages of the current generation." However new messages, including "The wall is never over" immediately began to appear on the wall, which was previously painted over several times by communist authorites to stop unwelcome adoration of a Western musician and activities considered dangerous to the totalitarian regime. - AP, 11/18/14...... In more Beatles-related news, Paul McCartney and Elton John will be among the performers featured in an upcoming Thanksgiving TV special on cable's VH1 showcasing taped live performances at the famous Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn. A Very Bonnaroo Thanksgiving, which also features such acts as Arcade Fire, Metallica, Pearl Jam and Jack White, among others, airs on Nov. 27 beginning at 9:00 p.m. EST. Pre-sales for the 2015 Bonnaroo fest are set to begin the next day, Nov. 28, at noon EST. - Billboard, 11/18/14...... Publisher Blue Rider, an imprint of Penguin Random House, announced on Nov. 19 that it has inked a deal with founding Beach Boys member Mike Love for a memoir to be published in 2016. Titled Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy, Blue Rider says that Love, 73, will open up about the band and his "complex" relationship with Brian Wilson, his cousin and mastermind of the legendary American pop group during their peak years in the 1960s. Love and Wilson have fought over songwriting credits and creative control of the group. Good Vibrations will be published, appropriately, during the summer. - AP, 11/19/14...... The family ofBob Marley and a Seattle-based private equity firm have teamed up to market a "premium brand of cannabis rooted in the life and legacy" of the late reggae legend, it was announced on Nov. 18. A New York City-based company will offer "Marley Natural" as "loose packed" buds, oils or concentrate, and it will packaged by Heckler Associates, the agency that branded New Balance and Starbucks Coffee. While Marley's family has recently licensed a variety of lifestyle products in reference to the musician's affinity for marijuana, this marks their first move into the selling of the actual herb. "Herb is for the healing of the nation; herb is for the meditation; herb is for the higher vibrations," Marley's son Rohan Marley said. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/18/14...... Patti Smith is calling critics of her upcoming performance at the 2014 Vatican Christmas Concert at Rome's Auditorium Conciliazione on Dec. 13 "fools." Smith received a personal invitation from Pope Francis to perform at the event, a decision that has been slammed as "blasphemous" by the Catholic organisation Portosalvo after the punk poetess's 1975 song "Gloria" notoriously featured the lines: "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine." "I'm not playing to the Pope," Smith said in an interview with the UK's The Guardian paper. "He may not even be there! But I expect there'll be a bunch of cardinals... It's a Christmas concert for the people, and it's being televised. I like Pope Francis and I'm happy to sing for him. Anyone who would confine me to a line from 20 years ago is a fool!" Smith and Pope Francis previously met in April 2013 at St Peter's Square, where the two shook hands. The Vatican Christmas Concert will also feature a performance from "singing nun" Sister Christina Scuccia, who recently won Italy's version of The Voice and covered another singer with a background which is controversial to Catholics, Madonna. - New Musical Express, 11/19/14...... Bruce Springsteen has just launched an online store -- Live Bruce Springsteen -- where fans of the Boss can relive the magic of a certain show or those who got shut out of tickets. The site features recordings from more than 30 recent gigs, including a 2014 gig in New Zealand during which he performed Born to Run in its entirety, and the March 9, 2012, performance with the E Street Band at New York City's Apollo Theatre. Thirty shows from the recent High Hopes tour will also be covered. Springsteen was reportedly inspired to release his own shows after viewing fan-shot videos on YouTube, saying "We can do better than this! We own the masters." For the privilege of reliving the old concerts, fans can expect to plunk down $19.95 for 24-bit HD downloads; $9.95 for MP3s; $12.95 for lossless CD-quality FLAC and ALAC; and $23 for CDs, which will be available Dec. 1. - Billboard, 11/18/14...... '70s artists Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel and Joan Baez were among the honorees at the ASCAP Centennial Awards Gala in New York City on Nov. 17. Among those paying tribute to Wonder was Motown founder Berry Gordy, who instead of saying positive things about the icon -- because he said he has done it repeatedly at other events -- told the crowd about some of Wonder's flaws, joking that the R&B legend was a "lousy driver" and that his "golf game sucks." He also said Wonder was consistently late, explaining that his seminal 1976 album, Songs in the Key of Life, came two years behind schedule. Sting stunned the audience with a performance of Billy Joel's "Big Man on Mulberry Street" -- ending with a high note that even left Joel impressed, before Joel performed "New York State of Mind." Also honored during the evening were Garth Brooks and Stephen Sondheim - AP, 11/18/14...... Speaking of Stevie Wonder, '70s teen idol Donny Osmond covers Wonder's "My Cherie Amour," with Wonder accompanying him on harmonica, on his upcoming album The Soundtrack of My Life. Osmond will release the LP, on Jan. 13, 2015, to celebrate 50 years in show business. The album finds Osmond paying homage to Wonder and other artists who have influenced him, and will be his 60th LP. "'My Cherie Amour' was the first record I ever purchased," Osmond told Billboard, "When I started working on the song, I thought, 'It would be so cool if Stevie would be willing to play harmonica on my version.' He agreed to do it. It truly is an honor to have him on my 60th album." - Billboard, 11/17/14...... In a recent post on his official website, Neil Young is urging his fans to boycott the Starbucks retail coffee chain, which recently joined up with the Monsanto corporation in a lawsuit against the state of Vermont over the issue of labeling genetically-modified food ingredients. "Starbucks is supporting a lawsuit that's aiming to block a landmark law that requires genetically-modified ingredients be labeled," writes Young. "Amazingly, [Starbucks] claims that the law is an assault on corporations' right to free speech. Monsanto might not care what we think -- but as a public-facing company, Starbucks does. If we can generate enough attention, we can push Starbucks to withdraw its support for the lawsuit, and then pressure other companies to do the same." The Canadian-born folk-rocker adds that he's a longtime Starbucks latte drinker, and that he has been impressed with the company's progressive stances "on LGBT and labor issues in the past," however he says that Vermont is the very first state in the U.S. to require labeling... Dozens of other states have said that they will follow this path -- in order to encourage this, we need to ensure that Vermont's law stands strong." - Billboard, 11/17/14...... Kiss has been confirmed as the third headline act for the UK's Download Festival 2015. The shock-rockers will co-headline the third and final night of the event with Motley Crue on Sunday, June 14. It will be Kiss's first appearance at the fest since 2008. "To all our fans -- our intention is to get on that stage, blow the heavens to smithereens and take no prisoners," Kiss principal Gene Simmons said in a statement. Also confirmed to play the 2015 Download are Judas Priest, Faith No More, Slash and Marilyn Manson - NME, 11/19/14...... The Who have announced they will play London's Hyde Park in June 2015 as part of net year's British Summer Time festival. Their headlining set will be the final performance of the band's "The Who Hits 50" UK tour, and opening acts will include Paul Weller, Kaiser Chef and Johnny Marr. "It's a good gig. You draw from all over the country but a London crowd is always a good crowd. It's a Royal Park so thank you your majesty, you can't play it without her permission," Who guitarist Pete Townshend said in a statement. The Who will kick off their 9-city UK 50th anniversary tour on Nov. 30 in Glasgow. Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac has added an extra night in Manchester on July 1 to their 2015 UK and Irish tour. The band had previously announced a Manchester date on June 12 as part of their 2015 UK tour, which gets underway with a two-night stand at the London O2 Arena beginning on May 27. - NME, 11/17/14...... Legendary producer/songwriter Giorgio Moroder, who helped invent disco in the 1970s with Donna Summer before conjuring the '80s synth sound of film soundtracks, will release his first solo album in more than 30 years in spring 2015. The long-awaited album from the 74-year-old producer will feature collaborations with the likes of Britney Spears, Sia, Charli XCX, Kylie Minogue, Mikky Ekko, Foxes, Matthew Koma and others. He has signed a worldwide deal with Sony Music International for the release of the set, which will be released on RCA Records in the US. To celebrate the announcement of his new album, Moroder released the first music video from the set, appropriately titled "74 Is the New 24." In addition to recently remixing Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett's "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" and Coldplay's "Midnight," Moroder has also been DJ'ing at music festivals around the globe. - Billboard, 11/17/14...... TV producer Glen Larson, the writer and producer behind well-loved TV series such as the original Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I. and Quincy, M.E., died at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on Nov. 14 of complications from esophageal cancer. He was 77. Larson, also an accomplished singer and composer, was a powerhouse in the television landscape in the 1970s and 1980s, when he churned out hits that became staples in millions of living rooms every night. He also co-composed the theme songs for some of his hits, including the frequently sampled tune from Knight Rider and the orchestral music behind Battlestar Galactica, his son said. "He was sort of an icon," James Larson said. "There are a lot of interesting things like that." Larson's first writing credit came in 1966 on an episode of The Fugitive, and by 1968 he had worked his way up to an associate producer on the series It Takes a Thief and quickly rose through the ranks to produce some of the biggest TV shows of the time. At one point, he had five shows airing at once, his son said. A list of nearly four dozen TV credits also includes The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, B.J. and the Bear, The Fall Guy and the TV movie The Six Million Dollar Man. He is survived by his wife, Jeannie Pledger, a brother, and nine children from two different marriages. - AP, 11/15/14.

The Rolling Stones have settled their legal battle over the death of Mick Jagger's late girlfriend L'Wen Scott that recently brought insurance underwriters to Utah looking for evidence about the mental health of Scott before she took her life in March in New York City. A spokeswoman for the band, Fran Curtis, declined to elaborate on the details of the settlement, but she said the $12.7 million claim had been resolved before details were reported earlier in November, and added that it was "upsetting that private information was made public in court." A federal judge allowed underwriters to gather information about fashion designer and Utah native Scott from her brother in October, but he told a local Utah paper that the brother wasn't contacted. The band cancelled a number of shows in Australia and New Zealand after Scott's death, and they have now returned to the region to play the postponed gigs. Scott's family recently criticized Jagger in a recent interview with the UK's The Daily Mail paper: "The guy is just unbelievable," says Scott's brother in law Rob Shane, who says his wife Jan is still trying to put it all behind her and now Jagger is in a legal battle with insurers. "(Jagger) doesn't need the money... I read that he's claiming $12.7 million due to the cancellation of the tour and I can't understand that. L'Wren left her entire estate to him and that was valued around the same amount." - AP/WENN.com, 11/14/14.

The Doobie Brothers have earned their highest charting album on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart since 1980 with their new LP Southbound. The release, which sees the classic rock band covering its hits with the help of some of country music's biggest current stars, sold 16,000 copies for the week ending Nov. 9. It's the Doobies' highest chardting album since 1980's One Step Closer. Meanwhile, Bette Midler has scored her fifth consecutive Billboard Top 10 album with It's the Girls, which debuted at No. 3 for the week. It is the diva's highest debut ever, her second-highest charting album, and her sixth Top 10 LP overall. Midler is now only behind Barbra Streisand in charting Top 10 albums from the 1970s through the 2010's). Also heading for the Billbaord Top 10 is Pink Floyd, which is on course to chart its 10th Top 10 album with Pink Floyd's latest album The Endless River, which may sell around 150,000. - Billboard, 11/14/14...... In his just-published memoir The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light,Carlos Santana reveals that he "doesn't want to be attached to this figure thing called Santana." "I like Carlos," the Grammy-winning musician writes. "Sometimes it's hard to distinguish between the performer and the person. I want to be like Harry Belafonte or Wayne Shorter or [John] Coltrane and be a person who is nice to be around." Besides detailed memories of his upbringing and musical achievements, the 544-page book also dives unapologetically deep into the 67-year-old guitar legend's philosophies and spirituality. I take special joy in dismantling cynical people," he adds. "Cynical people are like cement -- nothing grows in there. We have the capacity to make the correct choices every day, so every day can be the best day of your life, no matter what." - Billboard, 11/14/14...... Also coming out with a new biography is Fleetwood Mac founding drummer Mick Fleetwood, who reveals that he once urinated on the White House lawn just feet away from a newly elected Pres. Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton back in 1993. "I was dying to pee and I didn't have time to go back to the house before we appeared. I was saying to my manager, 'What the f--- am I going to do?'," he recounts in Play On: Now, Then, And Fleetwood Mac. "I was dressed like Mr Rumours, in knickerbockers, with my wooden balls hanging out. The security guys must have heard because suddenly this fella with an earpiece said something like 'permission granted to urinate on the lawn'. One of our musicians took a picture of me doing it. I don't think Bill and Hillary knew about it, but they'd forgive me." Meanwhile, Fleetwood Mac has just added two extra dates to their 2015 UK and Irish tour, which gets underway on May 27 with a two-night stand at London's O2 Arena. Now the band will play two extra shows in London in June, on the 22nd and 24th. The band will also hit Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin and Leeds during the trek. - New Musical Express, 11/13/14...... AC/DC lead guitarist Angus Young is promising "there'll be a good drummer there" when the group hits the road in 2015 in support of its new album, Rock Or Bust, but he won't say whether that will be current drummer Phil Rudd, who made headlines after he was charged with threatening murder and drug possession in New Zealand. "That's sad when you see him in that space, it's sad to look at," Young says. "But we've committed to going on, going forward. That's our main thing. And also, the guy's got to be in condition to do this run. We don't want to be in this position of canceling things, 'cause if you put together a lot of stuff you don't want somebody saying, 'Oh, yeah, maybe I'll be there, maybe I won't." Cliff Williams, AC/DC's bassist, added that "It's for (Rudd) to sort himself out. We can't do it for him. We can only do so much accommodation. It's in his hands." Rock or Bust is due the first week in December, and the band is still deciding dates and routing for their tour. Meanwhile, the band's 1976 single "Dirty Deeds Done Cheap" has benefited from a sales boost following the news of Rudd's arrest. The song sold just under 2,000 downloads in the week ending Nov. 9 -- up 21 percent from the previous week. It marked the hard-rocking tune's biggest sales week since April 2014. - Billboard, 11/14/14...... Rare instrumental studio recordings by Jimi Hendrix are set to be released on vinyl in the US as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday event (Nov. 28). The new Hendrix "official bootleg," titled Hear My Music, will contain two LPs' worth of the guitar god's "creative explorations." According to Rolling Stone, Hendrix recorded the music in the first half of 1969, both as solo demos and as free-form group jams with the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Among the 11 tracks are two versions of "Valleys Of Neptune" -- one featuring a Hendrix solo on electric guitar and the other a piano version. Unedited versions of the tracks "Drone Blue" and "Jimi," both of which appeared on the now out-of-print 1980 album Nine To The Universe, also appear. - NME, 11/13/14...... Ozzy Osbourne's wife Sharon Osbourne revealed on the Nov. 11 episode of CBS's The Talk morning show that the Osbourne family's iconic reality show will be returning to television soon. Sharon says The Osbournes will return to the air for a "mini-season" of "six to eight episodes at most." "It's not as much coming back as a proper series, (but) as an update," she added, noting that Ozzy said that he "wishes we could've done The Osbournes now where I'm clean and sober." The original series, a runaway hit, ran on MTV from 2002 to 2005, and there is no word yet exactly when it will return or what channel it will air on. In other Ozzy news, scientists have named a new species of bat frog which sounds like a bat after the Black Sabbath frontman. The new breed of frog was discovered in the Amazon in 2009, bearing an unusual bat-like call. "As soon as I heard its call, I knew it was a new species. I had never heard anything like it," scientist Pedro Peloso told National Geographic. "We kept talking about the 'bat frog,' which led to us talking about being fans of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath." The frog was named "Dendropsophus ozzyi," referring to the infamous incident that saw Ozzy bite the head off a bat in 1982. - Billboard/NME, 11/12/14...... The Doors drummer John Densmore says he's planning on writing a new book that recalls his "meetings with remarkable musicians." "I'm playing around with Meetings With Remarkable Musicians, Densmore said during an interview at the recent Classic Rock Honours Awards in Los Angeles. "Each chapter is someone I met -- George Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Patti Smith. I'm playing around with that and writing is getting me off," Densmore says, adding that he has just began work on the book and hopes to have it out "within a year or two." Densmore peviously authored the books Riders on the Storm: My Life With Jim Morrison And The Doors and The Doors Unhinged: Jim Morrison's Legacy Goes On Trial. - Billboard, 11/11/14...... In related news, legendary British rock producer Glyn Johns has just published Sound Man, a memoir that reveals the behind-the scenes dirt from throughout his career. Among the revelations are that Bob Dylan once wanted to make a record with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. "We would pool the best material from Mick & Keith, Paul & John, Bob, and George and then select the best rhythm selection from the two bands to suit whichever song we were cutting," Johns writes. But sadly, both Jagger and McCartney flatly declined. Johns also writes that he was glad when the Eagles fired him after 1973's Desperado album because the were seeking a harder-rock sound for the follow-up, On the Border. "There is no way I could have stayed involved with what followed," writes Johns. "Fairly heavy substance abuse with hundreds of hours in the studio with the band being at each other's throats, disappearing up their own arses." - Rolling Stone, 11/20/14...... Bruce Springsteen, along with Dave Grohl and Zac Brown, delivered a controversial performace of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" at The Concert for Valor on Veteran's Day (Nov. 11) at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Many took to Twitter to complain that the song was an "anti-patriotic" and "inappropriate" song choice, and some conservative outlets such as The Weekly Standard questioned why the singers decided to perform an anti-war protest song at a concert "largely organized to honour those who volunteered to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq." Other Twitter posters, however, defended the song, calling its detractors "culturally clueless." The concert was staged to raise awareness of veterans' support groups, raise funds for veterans' charities and salute American troops. Jennifer Hudson opened the concert with a rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," after which Pres. Barack Obama addressed the crowd in a video message. - New Musical Express, 11/12/14...... Disgraced '70s glam rocker Gary Glitter appeared in court in London on Nov. 11 to face charges relating to 10 sex offenses against three young girls. Glitter, whose real name is Paul Gadd, appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London to deny all of the alleged offenses, reports the BBC. He is accused of four counts of indecent assault involving one complainant between Jan. 31 and May 31, 1977. The complainant was aged 12 or 13 at the time. The former pop star, 70, is also accused of "administering a drug or other thing in order to facilitate sexual intercourse" and one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 between the same dates. The charges also include counts of indecent assault between October 1979 and December 1980 made by an additional complainant, who was 13-14 in during that period. Glitter, who is accused of plying alcohol to "stupefy or overpower" one of the alleged victims, is currently free on bail. - NME, 11/11/14...... Elton John spoke out against Russia's views of homosexuality during a concert in St. Petersburg on Nov. 8. John offered his views in the middle of the show on the recent decision to remove a statue of Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs after the company's current CEO, Tim Cook, came out as gay. "How dignified that St. Petersburg should erect a memorial to Steve Jobs, the remarkable founder of Apple," John is reported to have told fans. "But last week it was labeled homosexual propaganda and taken down!" Elton continued: "Steve's memory is re-written because his successor at Apple, Tim Cook, is gay! Does that also make iPads gay propaganda? Is Tchaikovsky's beautiful music sexually perverting? As a gay man, I've always felt so welcome here in Russia. Stories of Russian fans -- men and women who fell in love dancing to 'Nikita' or their kids who sing along to 'Circle of Life' -- mean the world to me. If I'm not honest about who I am, I couldn't write this music. It's not gay propaganda. It's how I express life. If we start punishing people for that, the world will lose its humanity." - NME, 11/11/14...... Gary Lane, the bassist in the '60s garage band The Standells, died on Nov. 6 after battling lung cancer. He was 75. Lane, whose real name was Gary McMillan, left The Standells in 1966 but rejoined the group in 2000. In 1965, the band signed with Capitol Records and recorded "Dirty Water," which would become their only major hit in 1966 going to number 11. The single continues to be in regular rotation on classic hits radio and is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll." Lane is the second member of The Standells to pass in the last year, with drummer Dick Dodd passing away in November 2013. - VintageVinylNews.com, 11/10/14...... Rapper Big Bank Hank, one of hip-hop's first pioneers as one third of the Sugarhill Gang, died on Nov. 11 after an apparent battle with cancer. He was 57. The Sugarhill Gang's international hit "Rapper's Delight" became the first rap single to crack the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 in 1979. It was also one of the first rap singles, period, and as such had an immense influence on the nascent genre. The Sugarhill Gang also released four LPs in the 1980's and a children's album, Jump on It!, in 1999. - NME, 11/11/14...... Veteran British actor Warren Clarke, who shot to fame in Stanley Kubrick's 1971 movie A Clockwork Orange, passed away in his sleep on Nov. 11 after a "short illness," according to his representatives. He was 67. Clark went on to work with Clockwork star Malcolm McDowell on two more projects, the 1973 film O Lucky Man! and the 1985 TV movie Gulag. He also appeared in Charlton Heston's epic Antony and Cleopatra in 1972, Enigma with Martin Sheen, 1984 war spoof Top Secret!, and Clint Eastwood's 1982 action movie Firefox. - WENN.com, 11/12/14.

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The Who launched a new 3D immersive app on Nov. 10, developed in collaboration with their management company Trinifold, U.K. tech company Immersive, and Universal Music. "The Who Immersive App" is centered on a 3D virtual world that features key events and landmarks from the Who's 50-year history, including some of the iconic visuals conjured by Pete Townshend's songs, such as a pinball and a magic bus. The app's 16-strong staff includes Jamie Daltrey (son of Who frontman Roger Daltrey), who has been closely involved in the app's development, gathering rare band artifacts from his father and from Trinifold. The app links both to download and streaming services, and subsequent updates will celebrate not just the band's past but its future, offering a "relationship" with The Who via virtual access to the group's upcoming tour. British dates begin Nov. 30, with two sets of North American runs starting in April and September 2015. The app (which coincides with Universal's just-released The Who Hits 50! compilation) is now available free, with a premium version for Oculus Rift Virtual Reality headsets planned for the new year. The Who Hits 50! recently debuted at No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 200 album chart. - Billboard, 11/10/14.

Authorities in New Zealand announced on Nov. 10 that they were dropping the most serious charge of attempting to procure a murder against AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd. Rudd was arrested on Nov. 5 on that charge, as well as threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamines and cannabis, but now Rudd's legal counsel Paul Mabey says that following consultation with the Tauranga crown solicitor and senior police on Nov. 7, he is no longer facing a charge of hiring a hitman to carry out two killings. Rudd still faces charges of threatening to kill and the more minor drug possession charges. "Mr. Rudd has suffered unnecessary and extremely damaging publicity as a result of widespread and sensational reporting of a very serious allegation, which on any basis was never justified," Mabey said in a press release. He added that Rudd is considering any possible remedies he may have. Rudd remains out on bail until his next court appearance on Nov. 27. On Nov. 7, AC/DC released a statement saying that "Phil's absence will not affect the release of our new album Rock or Bust and upcoming tour next year." Rock or Bust is due to drop Dec. 2 in the U.S. Although sources close to the band say a replacement drummer could easily be found for their upcoming tour, finding a replacement for Rudd for future recordings, as well as a replacement for guitarist Malcolm Young who is suffering from dementia, could be more problematic. - Billboard, 11/6/14...... Stevie Wonder will be among a group of recipents receiving the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom from Pres. Barack Obama during a ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 24. The medal is the highest honor granted to civilians in the U.S. and honors contributions to U.S. security, world peace and cultural achievement. Other recipients include composer Stephen Sondheim, former NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw, actress Marlo Thomas, and author Isabel Allende. Wonder kicked off a U.S. "Songs in the Key of Life" performance tour on Nov. 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, featuring music from his groundbreaking 1976 double LP. "I challenge America, I challenge the world, to let hatred go, to let racism go," Wonder told the sold-out audience. "That is the only way we will win as a nation and the world." Wonder's tour, which includes Grammy-winning singer India.arie, wraps in December in the Los Angeles area. Wonder has also revealed that he has two new projects on the way -- a set of orchestral remakes of his songs with producer David Foster titled When the World Began, and Through the Eyes of Wonder, a more conventional studio album that will be his first since A Time to Love in 2005. - AP/Billboard, 11/10/14...... In other Soul music news, the former chauffeur of James Brown recently told the UK paper The Guardian that the iconic "Godfather of Soul"'s body has never been buried. The driver, William Murrell says that the body of Brown, who died in 2006, is still being kept at Brown's daughter's house in a mummified state so it would never decompose, and at a cost of $140,000. Why? "When you got almost 20 kids and six wives it's hard to get you in the ground," Murrell said. Brown, who married only three times and actually fathered nine legitimate children, died of congestive heart failure and pneumonia. In 2010, his reported love child LaRhonda Pettit claimed that his body had been stolen from a crypt in order to prevent an autopsy being carried out. However, both a funeral director and another of Brown's children, Deanna Brown Thomas, subsequently denied her allegations. A James Brown biopic titled Get On Up and co-produced by Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger recently premiered on the premium cable channel HBO and is set to be released in the UK on Nov. 21. - New Musical Express, 11/6/14...... Speaking of the Rolling Stones, insurance underwriters involved in a legal battle with the band over a $12.7 million claim have won permission to seek evidence in Utah about the mental health of Mick Jagger's girlfriend L'Wren Scott before she took her life in March. In October, a federal judge in Utah allowed the 12 underwriters to gather testimony and documents from Randall Bambrough of Ogden, the brother of Scott. Jagger was "diagnosed as suffering from acute traumatic stress disorder" after Scott's death and was advised by doctors not to perform for at least 30 days, according to documents filed in the court case in Utah. Before the tour, the group took out a $23.9 million policy to be paid in the event shows were canceled due to the death of family members or others, including Scott. Scott was a fashion designer and Utah native whose suicide prompted the rock group to postpone a concert tour of Australia and New Zealand and then file a $12.7 claim for losses due to its postponement. An autopsy completed on the body of 49-year-old Scott found she died of hanging in her New York City apartment. Meanwhile, the Stones have announced that their concert in Sydney, Australia will go ahead as planned on Nov. 12, following the cancellation of a gig in Victoria over the previous weekend. It was reported that Mick Jagger was suffering from a sore throat that would prevent the band from playing at Hanging Rock in Victoria on Nov. 8. "[The] remaining shows are proceeding as scheduled, we've had no update outside of this," the promoter of the shows said in a statement. - AP/NME, 11/10/14...... As Pink Floyd's latest album The Endless River hits stores on Nov. 10, drummer Nick Mason has hinted the band's archives could release more unreleased material in the future. "There's always a sort of discussion going on about what we could do," Mason recently told Billboard. "And it tends to be one of those things that I think is probably more driven by the record company than us... But we're always open to their ideas." Mason added that the 1977 album Animals "technically is perhaps one of our less well-recorded records" and that he would like to see that album have a sonic overhaul. "I think we'd just probably clean up some of the tapes and just sort of review it and see whether it can be enhanced. And if one was doing that, one might have a look at whether there's anything else to be done on it. But no one's got that down on their work schedule at the moment," Mason said. He also revealed that he has "spent a lot of time over the last few years putting together an archive of [Pink Floyd] video and film footage, and I think it'd be an interesting thing to [release] at some time." Mason says he and David Gilmour are planning to release some videos to support The Endless River, including material from the 1993-94 recording sessions for The Division Bell, where most of the new album's material started. - Billboard, 11/10/14...... An accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian at the intersection in London made famous on the Beatles's 1969 album Abbey Road has renewed concerns by local authorities that a crossing guard at the location is necessary. According to the London Examiner, on Nov. 7 a woman darted into traffic and was struck by a Volkswagen, the force of which sent her airborne. She was taken to a local hospital, and the severity of her injuries was unknown, although she was expected to recover. The Westminster Council reportedly had already been looking into the possibility of hiring a crossing guard for the intersection, given the high number of tourists that visit the site and the number of pedestrians who frequently come close to getting hit by cars there. - The Hollywood Reporter, 11/10/14...... Fleetwood Mac announced on Nov. 10 that they will launch a tour of the U.K. and Ireland in 2015. The recently-reunited band will kick things off with back-to-back shows at London's 02 Arena on May 27 and 28, before travelling to Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin and Leeds during June. The shows will feature Christine McVie, who recently rejoined the group and performed with the band for the first time since 1997. - NME, 11/10/14...... Country/pop songstress Emmylou Harris will be honored at an upcoming concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 10. "The Life & Songs of Emmylou Harris: An All-Star Concert Celebration" will feature the 13-time Grammy winner herself, along with such artists and friends as Kris Kristofferson, Sheryl Crow, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mavis Staples, Martina McBride, John Hiatt and Lucinda Williams, among others. - AP, 11/7/14...... A spokesman for former Led Zeppelin vocalist Robert Plant is denying the singer has reportedly turned down a $500 million offer from billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson to reform the legendary group for a series of 35 live dates to take place in only three cities. "Jimmy [Page], John [Paul Jones] and Jason [Bonham] signed up immediately," a source close to Branson is quoted as saying in a British paper. "It was a no-brainer for them but Robert asked for 48 hours to think about it. When he said no and ripped up the paperwork he had been given, there was an enormous sense of shock... His mind is made up and that's that." Branson is a lifelong fan of the group and was allegedly very interested in funding the tour, offering to fly the band between venues, but Plant's rep says the claim that the Led Zep frontman turned down such an offer is "rubbish." The band last reunited in 2007 for the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert at the O2 Arena in London. The band recently reissued versions of both "IV" and Houses Of The Holy remastered by Jimmy Page. - New Musical Express, 11/10/14...... School officials in Waukesha, Wisc., the hometown of Les Paul, have renamed the city's Waukesha Junior High "Les Paul Junior High" after the legendary guitar player and inventor. Paul, who died in 2009 at the age of 94, discovered his penchant for science and electronics at Waukesha Junior High, asking his teachers never-ending questions like how electricity got to light switches or why windows vibrated. Now school officials hope Paul's inspiration and innovative spirit rub off on current students. "You can kind of see that 'ah ha' moment for them of, 'It could be me, I could be that next person.' So I think that is pretty powerful," Bennett said ahead of a dedication ceremony on Nov. 8. Les Paul built his first crystal radio at age 9, around the time he first picked up a guitar. He went on to develop tape echo, multitrack recording and overdubs. He was even working on improving hearing aid technology when he died. - AP, 11/8/14...... David Bowie has released his second new song in two months to celebrate 50 years since his first recording. "'Tis a Pity She Was a Whore" gets its title from a 17th century English play of the same name, according to Bowie's Facebook page. He also says it was inspired by the destruction of World War I. "If Vorticists [abstract artists inspired by the war] wrote Rock Music it might have sounded like this," Bowie posted. It will be released in the U.S. on 10" vinyl and as a digital download as the backside of "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)," which Bowie began streaming in October. "Sue" comes from the new career-spanning Bowie compilation Nothing Has Changed, due out the same day as the single. - Billboard, 11/10/14...... Queen's Brian May reportedly recently spent $10,000 on an extra first-class airplane seat for his cherished guitar, known as The Red Special. According to the UK's Daily Mirror, May chose to travel with his guitar next to him on a British Airways flight to Los Angeles as he was reluctant to place it in a hold with the luggage of other passengers in case it became damaged. The Red Special was built by May at his father's workshop 40 years ago and has been a constant feature of Queen's music ever since. "There is no way he would have allowed it to be treated like any other piece of luggage," a source close to May said. "A member of staff and the guitar were bumped up to first class where he had to purchase a seat for it as it couldn't go in the overhead locker." In September, Queen announced a series of UK shows to take place in 2015 with singer Adam Lambert and Queen released their new album, Queen Forever, on Nov. 10. The album features three previously unreleased tracks with Freddie Mercury on vocals, including a collaboration with Michael Jackson. - NME, 11/7/14...... A 13th show on Jan. 9 has just been added to Billy Joel's upcoming residency at New York's Madison Square Garden, which breaks the Piano Man's own record of 12 shows in a series at the venue from 2006. The show extends Joel's residency into 2015, with tickets to go on sale on Friday, Nov. 14. Each show to date has sold out quickly, with the 10 shows that have been reported so far grossing more than $20 million and moving 186,373 tickets, according to Billboard Boxscore. The Jan. 9 show will be Joel's 59th overall performance at the Garden; the current record for shows at the famed arena is held by Elton John at 64 performances. To celebrate the franchise, MSG Network will debut Billy Joel Home at The Garden, a half-hour special capturing the first year of Joel's groundbreaking franchise run at MSG with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews from his performances on Nov. 10, immediately following the Knicks home game against the Atlanta Hawks. - Billboard, 11/7/14...... Bruce Springsteen auctioned off one of his guitars, an hour lesson on how to play it, a lasagna dinner at his house and a ride in the side car of his motorcycle, for a whopping $300,000 on Nov. 5 on behalf of Stand Up For Heroes, a mashup of comedy and music involving the New York Comedy Festival and the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which helps military service members and their families after they return home. The foundation is named for the ABC news anchor injured while working in Iraq in 2006. Also on Nov. 5, the Boss played a five-song solo acoustic set that included "Growin' Up," ''Dancing in the Dark" and "Born in the U.S.A" to a crowd of fans, military leaders, service men and women and corporate executives at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. The night raised more than $1 million, with Springsteen's packages making up more than half of the contributions. - AP, 11/6/14...... Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a Global Icon award at the MTV EMA awards show at Glasgow's SSE Hydro on Nov. 10. "For four decades, the Prince of Darkness has rocked anyone who's dared to listen. He scares the hell out of most people -- and all bats. But to me he's a gentleman, a killer performer, a collaborator and a rock 'n' roll legend," said presenter Slash of Guns 'n' Roses fame. Arriving onstage, the Black Sabbath frontman seemed slightly taken aback by the crowd's enthusastic welcome, the biggest of the night, saying simply, "I don't know about this icon shit but it's good to be here tonight. I just wanna thank MTV and all you people here tonight. God bless you all." - NME, 11/10/14...... Eric Clapton was amongst the mourners at the funeral of his former Cream bandmate, bassist Jack Bruce, on Nov. 5 at Golders Green Crematorium in London. Cream drummer Ginger Baker was also in attendance, as were Roxy Music guitarist Phil Manzanera, Procol Harum frontman Gary Brooker and Nitin Sawhney. The songs "Morning Has Broken," "Strawberry Fields Forever" and Bruce's "Theme For An Imaginary Western" were played at the service as was a musical tribute written by Clapton. Bruce passed away of liver failure on Oct. 25 at age 71. - AP, 11/6/14...... Character actor Dick Schaal, who appeared on numerous TV shows including The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show, died on Nov. 4 at the Motion Picture and Television Fund home in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 86. Mr. Schaal was a familiar face on sitcoms of the 1960s and 70s including The Mary Tyler Moore Show spinoffs Rhoda and Phyllis. He also guest starred on The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, I Dream of Jeannie and Love, American Style as well as dramas such as The Rockford Files. Working into the 1980s, he had recurring roles on Trapper John and Just Our Luck. A veteran of Chicago's Second City comedy troupe, Mr. Schaal was known at Second City for his command of physical comedy, mime and improvisation. In New York City, he worked in improvisational theater and met Valerie Harper, who became his second wife. He also appeared in several films including The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, Slaughterhouse-Five and Steelyard Blues. - Variety.com, 11/5/14...... Rick Rosas, a longtime bassist in Neil Young's touring band Crazy Horse, has passed away at age 65, according to several sources. Crazy Horse drummer Ralph Molina first posted the news on his Facebook page, followed by Young's unofficial fan page Thrasher's Wheat. Rosas' cause of death is not yet known. Rosas was part of Young's short-lived backing group the Bluenotes, and he continued working with Young on several latter day classics: Freedom, Living With War and Chrome Dreams II. He also played bass on the farewell tour of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Buffalo Springfield's reunion tour. - Billboard, 11/7/14.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was arrested on Nov. 5 in New Zealand and charged with attempting to have two men killed. Rudd, 60, was taken into custody after police raided his waterfront home in Matua, NZ. Rudd, who was also charged with possession of meth and cannabis, was arraigned and released on bail after a brief court appearance. It is unclear exactly who he was trying to have killed as the judge suppressed identifying information until trial, and warned Rudd not to communicate with the alleged hitman. Rudd entered no plea to the charges, and was ordered to appear again on Nov. 27. The Australian-born drummer was part of the original AC/DC lineup, but moved to New Zealand when the band kicked him out in 1983. Although he ended up rejoining the group in 1994 and participated in the recording of AC/DC's upcoming album Rock Or Bust, he was conspicuously absent from a recent video shoot and wasn't pictured in a recent promotional photo released by the band. In a statement on Nov. 6, the band said Rudd's absence wouldn't affect the album's release, which is set for Dec. 2, or a tour scheduled for 2015. "We've only become aware of Phil's arrest as the news was breaking," the statement said. "We have no further comment." - CNN/Gawker.com, 11/6/14.

The U.K.'s Classic Rock magazine brought their Classic Rock Honours awards to the U.S. for the first time on Nov. 4, at the Avalon Ballroom in Hollywood. The Doors were honored with an Inspiration Award, presented by Henry Rollins, while the 2014 Classic Rock Award was presented to Ozzy Osbourne's debut solo album, Blizzard of Oz, by Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot. Ozzy's wife Sharon Osbourne was also honored with a Classic Rock VIP award. Gregg Allman took home the highest honor, the Living Legend Award, a fitting tribute just days after the Allman Brothers Band said farewell with a closing stand at New York's Beacon Theater. Taking the honor for Best Classic Rock Band, Queen's Brian May, who accepted the award with their current frontman Adam Lambert, said, "For Roger [Taylor] and myself it's like a new beginning, and it's all thanks to Adam." At the close of the Sammy Hagar-hosted event, an all-star jam brought together Aerosmith's Joe Perry and Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top for the first time. Electric Light Orchestra mastermind Jeff Lynne, on hand to accept an Outstanding Contribution to Music award, revealed to reporters that he is working on new music under the ELO banner. "I'm working on a new album and that'll be involved in the new times when we play," said Lynne, who recently revived many of ELO's biggest hits at a concert at London's Hyde Park. Lynne's manager said the new ELO material could come as soon as 2015. - Billboard, 11/5/14...... Paul Simon has revealed he has agreed to cooperate with music journalist Robert Hilburn on a new biography. In a press release issued through book publisher Simon & Schuster, the 73-year-old Simon said that he had "thought seriously about writing my own memoir, but I'd rather devote my time to making music, which continues to hold my full attention... I'm confident Robert Hilburn will write an insightful book. I enjoyed and admired his biography of Johnny Cash and I think he'll tell my story well." Simon & Schuster did not announce a title or a release date for the book, and financial terms were not disclosed. In addition to the Johnny Cash biography, Hilburn has also previously authored Corn Flakes With John Lennon and Other Tales from a Rock 'n' Roll Life. - AP, 11/4/14...... Dionne Warwick's latest LP, Feels So Good, was released on Oct. 27 and is a duets album curated by some of her fellow famous musician friends, including Cyndi Lauper ("A Message to Michael"), Gladys Knight ("I'll Never Love This Way Again") and "youngsters" like Ne-Yo ("A House Is Not a Home") and Cee Lo Green (on the title cut, the album's sole original). Warwick said the idea came from her son Damon, who also acted as engineer and producer for the new album. - Billboard, 11/4/14...... A representative for Stevie Wonder said on Nov. 4 that the "Superstition" singer will welcome his ninth child in December. Rumours suggesting the 64-year-old's partner, Tomeeka Robyn Bracy, is pregnant with triplets surfaced in October, but the rep says she will only welcome one child, a daughter, and that the couple plans on naming her Nia. Bracy quietly gave birth to Wonder's latest baby in 2013. - WENN.com, 11/5/14...... Bette Midler has announced she will embark on a 22-date tour of the U.S. on May 8, 2015, at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida, her first tour in more than 10 years. Midler's tour, which hits most major American cities and wraps on June 25 at New York's Madison Square Garden, will support her new album, It's The Girls!, which hit stores on Nov. 4 and is her first album since 2006. It's The Girls! sees the diva covering tracks from several girl groups, including the Supremes, the Shirelles and TLC. Midler's version of TLC's "Waterfalls" recently hit No. 5 on Billboard's Trending 140 chart. - Billboard, 11/3/14...... A radio station in Denver, Colorado, is pleading for the safe return of a bronze bust of John Denver that was pried off its base at the 1st Bank Center in the Denver suburb of Broomfield during a Halloween party sponsored by the station on Oct. 28. KBPI-FM is asking whoever took the bust, which belongs to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, to return it undamaged to its studios, no questions asked. It was donated by Denver's family when he became its first inductee in 2011. Police said they have to leads as of Oct. 30. - AP, 11/1/14...... A long-lost track recorded by Paul McCartney that the former Beatle recorded for his band Wings for the 1974 documentary One Hand Clapping has recently surfaced online. The track, titled "Love My Baby," was unveiled via Buzzfeed.com to coincide with the reissue of classic Wings albums Venus And Mars and Wings At The Speed Of Sound, which dropped on Nov. 3. Previously, McCartney shared another previously unreleased track from his archives: an alternate take of "Beware My Love," which features Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham on drums. - New Musical Express, 11/5/14...... As Bruce Springsteen releases his first ever children's book, Outlaw Pete, in early November, the "Born to Run" singer has revealed a list of his 28 favorite books through the website Brainpickings.org. Among the books that have had the most profound effect on Boss's life are Frank L. Baum's The Wizard of Oz, which he says is the first book he ever read, and tomes by such authors as Philip Roth and Leo Tolsty, who he says that he'd like to invite to an imaginary dinner party, along with Life author Keith Richards and Chronicles writer Bob Dylan. Books by Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Bertrand Russell, Richard Ford, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Saul Bellow also made the list. - NME, 11/4/14...... In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music revealed that the band are officially broken up after a three-and-a-half year period of inactivity. Manzanera says he and multi-instrumentalist Andy Mackay agreed to go their separate ways after the last Roxy Music tour ended. "I don't think we're going to do any more shows," said Manzanera. "I think our job is done. When we stopped touring in 2011, Andy and I looked at each other and said, 'Our job is done here.'" Having recorded eight studio albums over a 10- year period, Roxy Music dissolved in 1983 only to reunite 13 years ago. Despite not releasing any new music as a group since their 1982 album Avalon, they continued to tour sporadically, and new box sets of their first two albums are due out in 2015. Meanwhile in other Roxy Music news, former frontman Bryan Ferry has just collaborated with Johnny Marr and Nile Rodgers for a track from his new solo album Avonmore. Titled "Driving Me Wild," the track is now streaming at NPR.org. Avonmore is produced by Ferry and Rhett Davies and hits stores on Nov. 17. It features contributions from such artists as Flea, Ronnie Spector and Mark Knopfler. - NME, 11/3/14...... "Let Me In Your Heart Again," a new song from Queen featuring vocals by the late Freddie Mercury, has been released for the first time as part of a campaign to raise awareness of AIDS. The William Orbit-mixed track is being released to mark the first day of a month-long global AIDS awareness campaign, which also features music from OneRepublic, Aloe Blacc, Wyclef Jean and Avicii. "The programme which runs through to World AIDS Day on December 1st, 2014, shares a message of hope and unity to empower today's youth to understand they can be the generation to end the AIDS crisis," sponsors Coca-Cola and (RED) said in a statement. - NME, 11/3/14...... Amazon.com has confirmed that Pink Floyd's new album The Endless River has become their most pre-ordered album of all time, taking the title from previous holders One Direction. The boy band's 2013 effort, Midnight Memories, had been the online retailer's most pre-ordered album of all time prior to Pink Floyd's latest and apparently final LP, which drops on Nov. 10. - NME, 11/3/14...... The largest Elvis Presley exhibition ever mounted in Europe, "Elvis At The O2: The Exhibition Of His Life," will open at London's O2 Arena on Dec. 12. Boasting over 300 artifacts from the Presley family's treasured Graceland Archives, some of which have never before been exhibited outside the Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn., the exhibit chronicles the iconic singer's rise from his early days and also included material from his record-breaking concert tours, his military service and Hollywood film career. It also showcases his life at Graceland, including automobiles, personal items, historical documents, iconic stage costumes and guitars on display. "We are more than happy to allow these treasured memories to leave Graceland, if only for a short time, so that his fans and the curious can learn about who he was as an artist, and understand what he was really like at home, by seeing the things that he surrounded himself with," Presley's ex-wife Priscilla Presley said in a statement. - NME, 11/4/14...... Iconic jazz clarinetist Acker Bilk, best known for his 1961 instrumental smash "Stranger on the Shore," died on Nov. 2 after a short illness. He was 85. Mr. Bilk, who was born in Somerset UK and known for his goatee, bowler hat and colorful apparel, was regarded as one of most important figures in trad jazz revival, was appointed an MBE for his services to the music industry in 2001. Pamela Frances Sutton, Mr. Bilk's personal manager for 45 years, said he was "a wonder of a man." "He lived for music... he had a special tone to his clarinet playing, he was fun-loving and very much a Somerset guy. His last concert was simply brilliant. He could really charm an audience," she said. "Stranger on the Shore" was the UK's biggest selling single of 1962 and made Mr. Bilk the first UK act to top the US charts in the 1960s. His last concert was in August 2013 at the Brecon jazz festival in Wales. - NME, 11/2/14..... California lawyer Tom Sneddon, the former district attorney who sought twice to try Michael Jackson on child molestation charges, died on Nov. 1 at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital after a battle against cancer. He was 73. Sneddon investigated Jackson on child sexual abuse allegations in 1993 and again a decade later. The first case fell apart after a young boy's family accepted a multimillion dollar settlement from Jackson and declined to testify against him. The probe closed with no charges, and Jackson shot back in a thinly disguised swipe at Sneddon in a song called "D.S." on the HIStory album. The song contains the lyrics, "Dom Sheldon is a cold man." A second set of allegations against Jackson made by a young cancer survivor resulted in a televised trial in 2005 which ended with Jackson being acquitted, with his defense attorney Thomas Mesereau painting Sneddon as an overzealous prosecutor who had a "personal vendetta" against Jackson after the first case fell apart. Sneddon, who continued to insist that he believed Jakcson could be a danger to children, retired in 2006.